


Hiraeth

by bbybeomah



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Canon Universe, Falling In Love, Fantasy, I'm honestly trying for Ghibli vibes lmao, Light Angst, M/M, Nostalgia, Romance, Spirit World, Trains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28766148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbybeomah/pseuds/bbybeomah
Summary: At 28 years old, Jinyoung and Jaebeom embark on a journey by train to Jinyoung's southern hometown of Jinhae-gu. Along the way they deal with love, bittersweet nostalgia and the spirits that conspire for and against them.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Hiraeth

It's late, and the sweltering summer heat has tapered into a cool night time chill. There's no better time than right now to be at Seoul Station, Jinyoung thinks — not quite desolate, but the travelers are sparse, and they look less conspicuous at night. He shifts the backpack on his shoulders so that he can pull the zipper up on his thin sweater as he looks at the automated ticket kiosk. Before he finds his desired destination, an arm reaches past his ear, clicking the options displayed. 

" _Seodaegu_ Express bus terminal, right?" Jaebeom asks, stepping forward to just barely brush against Jinyoung's back. His fingers hover over the monitor, waiting for his response. 

Jinyoung nods. "Yes, there first, and then we'll have to take another couple of buses to the _Jinhae Intercity_ bus stop." 

The other boy hums in contemplation. "If we didn't have to leave so late, we'd be able to make it there in five hours. But the overnight train and buses are gonna take almost eight - are you okay with that?" 

"I like trains," Jinyoung chuckles softly, by way of explanation. "I know we could have flown straight to _Gimhae_ , too, but... haven't been on the KTX in so long." _Not since I moved here, fifteen years ago,_ he thinks. 

Jaebeom grins, even though Jinyoung can't see it, and continues pressing in the options to get two sets of tickets for them. With each movement of his fingers, his elbow brushes softly against Jinyoung's ear. "Same here. Maybe the last time was during a field trip in middle school when we visited Busan." 

He drops his arm and steps back, the machine spitting out their tickets. Jinyoung grabs them and turns back to face the elder. Jaebeom offers him a sleepy, disheveled smile; he'd waited up late for Jinyoung to wrap up his filming schedule and then meet him at the station. He’s got on a ball cap, pulled lower over his brow, stick-straight black locks peeking out at the nape of his neck and nestled into a hoodie. He looks much like a tired, fluffy cat. To anyone else, in the dim haze of the midnight moon above them, you'd have to squint to be able to tell that he was _GOT7's JB._

But of course, Jinyoung could spot him from a mile away — from the broad-shouldered frame, to the tapering of his waist, and the bowing of his legs. Even if it has been a couple of months since he'd last seen Jaebeom, his form was burned into his memory, after years of practice of finding the group’s leader amongst a throng of hundreds of others. 

They turn together, partly in search of their platform, but also wandering leisurely through the vast train station. He's traveled and seen so much of the world, lived in a huge metropolitan city for over a decade now, but at times like these, Jinyoung still feels very much like the small-town country boy he'd been as a child. Just a small, nameless boy nestled in a too-big, too-busy traveler’s hub. Even after midnight, the forest of neon signs flicker brilliantly against the dark of the night, and there’s a handful of cafes, gift-shops and fast food restaurants open. 

"Wait here, I'll grab us some snacks." Jaebeom tells him, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket and walking away. Jinyoung lazily eyes the other man as he steps towards a kiosk and bows politely to the person working there. 

He returns a few minutes later with a couple of bottles of water and _dosirak_ for the train ride, whenever they'll inevitably get hungry. "Hope this one's okay." Jaebeom says, holding out a little paper bag packed with the traditional lunchbox to Jinyoung. 

"Thanks, hyung," Jinyoung takes the offering with a grin. Various stir-fried meats and rice are packed neatly into the bento, appetizing even through the plastic lid. It's quite amusing to him that Jaebeom simply chose the dosirak without asking what Jinyoung wanted specifically and still brought back exactly what Jinyoung would have chosen for himself. "It isn't quite a train trip without _dosirak,_ huh?" 

Jaebeom offers him a wry smile. "I think maybe I've just been watching too much anime… but yeah, might as well get the whole experience."

They continue on in companionable silence, Jinyoung taking Jaebeom's own dosirak of fried noodles and kimchi from his hands and placing it together in the bag with his. They clumsily navigate through the train station, albeit Jaebeom is more familiar with the place, since he was born and raised in the Seoul Metropolitan area. It's strange to Jinyoung that he'd lived in the city for over a decade now and has probably only been to this station three or four times. The only time he'd actually ridden a train here was the day he came by himself from Jinhae-gu, fifteen years old and ready to start a new life as an idol trainee. 

Once GOT7 had successfully finished their first world tour, Jinyoung finally saved enough money to move his parents and sisters out to Seoul from the town they grew up in. The only ones who stubbornly remained were his grandparents, whom he and Jaebeom were going to visit. Jinhae-gu was beautiful in its own right, nestled in the far south of the country, boasting a magnificent cherry blossom season that attracted tourists far and wide. It wasn't the tiniest town, but it differed from Seoul ten-fold. While Seoul was all neon lights and concrete skyscrapers, Jinhae-gu was surrounded by pine-covered mountains and the _Masan Bay_. 

Regrettably, the life of a celebrity was a busy, _too busy_ one, so visits to his grandparent's house were few and far between; more often, Jinyoung's parents would bring them to visit Seoul rather than vice versa. 

He dreamt of Jinhae-gu often, though he didn't necessarily attribute it to homesickness. How could it, when he'd built his home and life in Seoul alongside six other boys who came from different corners of the Earth, and had even brought his own immediate family over eventually. It's just — the smell of the pine and the ocean water is something Jinyoung remembers vividly when he walked to and from school, or when he'd pick up fresh fish from the market for his mom to make breakfast with. There was something about getting older that made him both nostalgic and intensely sentimental, he thinks.

A hand knocks into his, snapping him from his thoughts. Jaebeom looks at the younger with an amused expression. "Earth to Jinyoung?" Jaebeom playfully waves his hand in front of his face. "You zoned out there for a whole minute. You good? The platform is over there," he gestures down a set of stairs not far from where they stand. "Ready?" 

Jinyoung nods in response, reaching up to scratch his head shyly at being caught so lost in his thoughts. "Yeah. Sorry, just thinking." 

They descend down the concrete stairs together, the platform slowly coming into view. There's barely any other travelers waiting — odd, considering that Seoul was _always_ busy and _always_ crowded. "Don't be sorry. Must be tired, huh? Your schedule has been so packed lately. I'm surprised you managed to fit this vacation in." Jaebeom replies. 

"I'm surprised _you_ are coming with me, Hyung," Jinyoung shoots back. The other boy has been just as busy as Jinyoung was, producing music for countless up-and-coming krnb and hip-hop artists, as well as featuring on a lot of songs. "and not cooped up in your studio instead. I never see you anymore." 

"I'm right where you left me, Actor Park," Jaebeom says, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Anyway, I'm glad you asked me to come with you. You always rave about how beautiful Jinhae-gu is. And I've always wanted to meet your grandparents." 

The overhead PA system chimes, _Platform 7, train is arriving, destination: Seodaegu,_ and Jaebeom throws an excited smile at the younger, breaking into a light jog towards the edge of the platform. Jinyoung frowns a little and shuffles after him, the other boy's words looping back to him in his head.

_I'm right where you left me._

  
  
  


_//_

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Notes:

_Jinhae-gu, Changwon City_ is where Jinyoung was born and raised (I think? For the purpose of this story, it is). It's a port city on the southern end of South Korea, not far from Busan. 

_Gimhae_ refers to Gimhae Airport, located in/near Busan. 

_Seodaegu Express Bus Terminal_ is a bus/train station on the way to Jinhae-gu from Seoul station. 

_Dosirak_ is the Korean version of a _bento_. Stores that carry pre-made bentos are common in train stations for travelers to bring along for their journeys. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi & welcome to my first multi-chaptered fic (:  
> How did you like the Prologue? I know it's short~~~ sorry! 
> 
> I did my due diligence with researching actual geography and Korean terms, however I cannot claim that everything is entirely accurate. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little journey with me! I have a lot of fun and whimsical stuff outlined ;D 
> 
> Kudos/Comments/Subsciptions make me so, so happy & encourage me to keep writing <3 thank you to everyone who has supported me so far! AO3 is such a nice community ^^
> 
> I'm on [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/bbybeomah/), come talk to me! <3 (I just made it and would love to meet new friends!)


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